The Classic
Photographic Process

The dictionary defines classic as "a simple, elegant style not greatly subject to change, judged over a period of time to be the highest quality and outstanding of its kind." I think this is a perfect description of black and white photographs made on film and printed in the darkroom.  I have no grudge against digital imaging; some incredible work is being done either completely digitally or using a hybrid analog-digital workflow. Some of my best friends have "gone digital," and no barroom brawls have ensued among us. I have shot portraits and weddings digitally; and yes, I used a digital camera and Adobe Photoshop to illustrate this page. I simply view cameras and processes as tools to achieve a desired outcome, and I find that the classic photographic process allows me to better express my vision. Happily, I also enjoy working with these materials more, and get greater satisfaction from practicing the craftsmanship required to produce traditional silver gelatin photographs. For these reasons, all of the photographs in my fine print portfolios were made using the classic photographic process.

All of my photographs are made with medium or large format cameras that capture finely- detailed images, and are exposed onto black and white film that I develop in my darkroom. I hand print each photograph, process to archival standards, and then mount and mat using museum grade board. I then frame each picture in a frame that I build myself. Taking responsibility for every step from visualizing a photograph to its final presentation is important to me, and is one of the reasons that I am drawn to classic photography. No work is signed and leaves my studio until it is absolutely the best that I can do.

One of my favorite cameras is the Hasselblad that makes 2-1/4" square negatives, and I strive to maintain the square format when printing film from this camera. Similarly, when I print negatives from my large format camera I try to retain the dimensions of the format and use the entire negative. But I also practice what I call "sympathetic printing," by which I mean that I let the photograph tell me how it needs to appear. If the composition is strengthened by cropping the square negative into a rectangle, or the rectangular large format negative using another aspect ratio, I do not hesitate to do so.

I typically print in 2 different sizes. Smaller prints invite more intimate viewing, and are printed onto 8"x10" paper, with an actual print area of 7-1/2" for square prints, and 9-1/2" in the longest dimension for rectangular prints. Larger prints are made on 11"x14" paper, with nominal longest-dimension print areas of 10-1/2" and 13-1/2" respectively.

My sympathetic printing philosophy continues when choosing the paper, developer, toner, and process to use. Some photographs look best in a neutral tone, while others need a cool or warm bias. Some pictures are improved with sepia toning, and some, like my Entropy series, need the colorful, contrasty, and/or gritty look imparted by the lith printing process. Sometimes I visualize the look of the finished photograph before I expose a scene onto film, other times I need to study a work print in the darkroom or try several different variations before the finished print reveals itself to me. This, to me, is all part of the Classic Photographic Process.